Ramses Younan

Collection of the Artist's Family, Egypt
Private Collection, Paris (acquired directly from the above in 2013) 

This work is in very good condition. The canvas is slightly slack with minor undulations on the upper centre. There are few minute paint losses; one 37cm from the top right quadrant, from the edge, another one 39cm from the bottom right quadrant, from the edge and two other minute chips 43 and 45cm located on the central axis, departing from the left edge of the composition. The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, with the overall tonality being slightly softer, with darker browns and greens.
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Ramses Younan returned to Cairo following his dismissal by the French Broadcasting services for refusing to denounce the Egyptian government over the Suez crisis in 1957. He was instrumental in introducing the concept of Abstraction to Egypt in his 1958 Cairo show Toward the Unknown. As Younan has emphatically stated, "true Egyptian art will not exist unless our past heritage is allowed to react with international heritage: only that will lead us to establish a foundation for our modern art. Therefore, we should not fear any innovation, no matter how extreme it may be, for those who fight innovation under the pretext of protecting our national identity reveal the weakness of their faith in its potential for growth."

According to Aime Azar, famed Egyptian art critic, unique to Younan was his ability to perfect the brown tonalities akin to a tortoise shell and undertones. As seen in this painting, we see a range of browns. Younan was able to have a palette of colours that was in complete harmony to the canvas. A dream like sensation. Younan explains his move from surrealism to abstraction as a concealed “mystery of the universe. The subtle movement seen in Younan’s horizontal abstract works elucidates his mastery of classic abstraction.  There is coherence to the composition. Painted towards the end of his career in 1965, this beautiful abstract example by Younan is a true representation of his abstract works.